Page images
PDF
EPUB

All these indications concur in point- The worship of these deities was ing to the latter part of the period of of great antiquity. We find the the elders who outlived Joshua, that worship of Baal established among is, according to our scheme, about for- the Moabites and their allies, the ty years after the conquest of the land; Midianites, in the time of Moses and it would seem to follow that the (Num. xxii. 41); and through these oppression of Chushan-rishathaim was nations the Israelites were seduced the punishment of these very disorders. to the worship of this god under the It agrees with this view, that in the particular form of Baal-peor (Num. story of the expedition against Benja- xxv. 3, sqq.; Deut. iv. 3). Notmin there is no mention of a judge, but withstanding the fearful punishment the leaders are the high-priest Phine- which their idolatry brought upon has and the princes of the tribes. An- them in this instance, the succeedother interesting consequence would ing generation returned to the worbe that the judgeship of Ehud was sub- ship of Baal (Judg. ii. 10–13); and, sequent to the punishment of Benja- with the exception of the period durmin, and this elevation may be regard- ing which Gideon was judge (Judg. ed as a mark of divine favor to the re- vi. 26, sqq. viii. 33), this form of idolstored tribe. The time of Ruth, com- atry seems to have prevailed among puted by the genealogies, would fall in them up to the time of Samuel (Judg. the judgeship of Deborah and Barak. x. 10; 1 Sam. vii. 4), at whose rebuke the people renounced the worship of Baalim. Solomon, as we

(B.) BAAL AND ASHTORETH. Baal was the supreme male divin- have already said, introduced the wority of the Phoenician and Canaan- ship of the Sidonian Astarte. The itish nations —as ASHTORETH was worship of Baal, together with that their supreme female divinity. Both of Asherah, became the religion of names have the peculiarity of being the court and people of the ten tribes used in the plural; and it seems under Ahab, king of Israel, in consecertain that these plurals designate quence of his marriage with Jezebel not statues of the divinities, but dif- (1 K. xvi. 31–33, xviii. 19, 22); and ferent modifications of the divini- though this idolatry was occasionally ties themselves. The plural Baal- put down (2 K. iii. 2, x. 26), it apim is found frequently alone (e. g., pears never to have been permanentJudg. ii. 11, x. 10; 1 K. xviii. 18; ly or effectually abolished in that Jer. ix. 14; Hos. ii. 17), as well as kingdom (2 K. xvii. 16). In the in connection with Ashtoreth (Judg. kingdom of Judah, also, Baal-worx. 6; 1 Sam. vii. 4). In the earlier ship extensively prevailed. During books of the O. T. only the plural, the short reign of Ahaziah and the Ashtaroth, occurs; and it is not till subsequent usurpation of his mother the time of Solomon, who introduced Athaliah, the sister of Ahab, it apthe worship of the Sidoniah Astarte, pears to have been the religion of the and only in reference to that partic- court (2 K. viii. 27; comp. xi. 18), ular goddess, Ashtoreth of the Sido- as it was subsequently under Ahaz nians, that the singular is found in (2 K. xvi. 3; 2 Chr. xxviii. 2), and the O. T. (1 K. xi. 5, 33; 2 K. xxiii. Manasseh (2 K. xxi. 3). 13). Baal signifies Lord, not SO The worship of Baal among the much, however, in the sense of Ruler Jews appears to have been appointas of Master, Owner, Possessor. BEL ed with much pomp and ceremonial. is the Babylonian name of the god. Temples were erected to him (1 K.

There are other passages,

xvi. 32; 2 K. xi. 18); his images | tical. were set up (2 K. x. 26); his altars however, in which these terms seem were very numerous (Jer. xi. 13), to be distinguished from each other, were erected particularly on lofty as 2 K. xxiii. 13, 14, 15. Ashtoreth eminences (1 K. xviii. 20), and on is perhaps the proper name of the the roofs of houses (Jer. xxxii. 29); goddess, while Asherah is the name there were priests in great numbers of the image or symbol of the god(1 K. xviii. 19), and of various class- dess. There was perhaps a conneces (2 K. x. 19); the worshipers ap- tion between the symbols or image pear to have been arrayed in appro- and the sacred symbolic tree, the reppriate robes (2 K. x. 22); the wor- resentation of which occurs so freship was performed by burning in- quently on Assyrian sculptures, and cense (Jer. vii. 9) and offering burnt- is shown in the wood-cut on page sacrifices, which occasionally consist- 318. ed of human victims (Jer. xix. 5). The officiating priests danced with frantic shouts around the altar, and cut themselves with knives to excite the attention and compassion of the god (1 K. xviii. 26-28). Throughout all the Phoenician col- JEZREEL; and the name is derived onies we continually find traces of the from the old royal city of Jezreel, worship of Baal and Astarte. The which occupied a commanding site name of Baal occurs in the names of inen such as Adher-bal, Asdru-bal, Hanni-bal.

[ocr errors]

(C.) PLAIN OF ESDRAELON.

Esdraelon is the Greek form of the Hebrew word JEZREEL (Judith iii. 9, iv. 6). In the Old Testament the plain is called the VALLEY OF

near the eastern extremity of the plain, on a spur of Mount Gilboa.

"The great plain of Esdraelon" Baal and Ashtoreth symbolized the extends across Central Palestine from generative and productive powers: the Mediterranean to the Jordan, the former was also regarded as the separating the mountain ranges of sun-god, and the latter as the moon- Carmel and Samaria from those of goddess. Galilee. The western section of it There is a Hebrew word, Asherah, is properly called the plain of ACCHO, which is always translated "grove' or 'Akka. The main body of the in our version; but it is certain that plain is a triangle. Its base on the an idol or image of some kind must cast extends from Jenîn (the ancient be intended, as seems sufficiently Engannim) to the foot of the hills beproved from such passages as 2 K. low Nazareth, and is about fifteen xxi. 7, xxiii. 6, in the latter of which miles long; the north side, formed we find that Josiah "brought out by the hills of Galilec, is about 12 the Asherah" (or, as our version miles long; and the south side, formreads, "the grove ")" from the house ed by the Samaria range, is about 18 of the Lord." There can, moreover, miles. The apex on the west is a be no doubt that Asherah is very narrow pass, opening into the plain closely connected with ASHTORETH of 'Akka. This vast expanse has a and her worship; indeed, the two gently undulating surface-in spring, are so placed in connection with each all green with corn where cultivated, other, and each of them with Baal and rank weeds and grass where neg(e. g., Judg. iii. 7; comp. ii. 3; Judg. lected-dotted with several low, gray vi. 25; 1 K. xviii. 19), that many tells, and near the sides with a few critics have regarded them as iden- olive-groves. This is that valley of

Megiddo, so called from the city of to the eastward; it was across it MEGIDDO, which stood on its south- Ahaziah fled from Jehu (2 K. ix. 27). ern border, where Barak triumphed, The central branch is the richest, as and where King Josiah was defeated, well as the most celebrated; it deand received his death-wound (Judg. scends in green fertile slopes to the v. ; 2 Chr. xxxv.) Probably, too, it banks of the Jordan, having Jezreel was before the mind of the Apostle and Shunem on opposite sides at John when he figuratively described the western end, and Bethshean in the final conflict between the hosts its midst toward the east. This is of good and evil who were gathered the "valley of Jezreel" proper-the to a place called Ar-mageddon, that battle-field on which Gideon triumphis, the city of Megiddo (Rev. xvi. 16). ed, and Saul and Jonathan were The river Kishon "that ancient overthrown (Judg. vii. 1 sq; 1 Sam. river," so fatal to the army of Sisera xxix. and xxxi.). (Judg. v. 21) drains the plain, and flows off through the pass westward to the Mediterranean.

[ocr errors]

The whole borders of the plain of Esdraelon are dotted with places of high historic and sacred interest. On From the base of this triangular the east we have ENDOR, NAIN, and plain three branches stretch out east- SHUNEM, ranged round the base of ward, like fingers from a hand, di- the hill of MOREH;" then BETHvided by two bleak, gray ridges, one SHEAN in the centre of the "valley bearing the familiar name of Mount of Jezreel;" then GILBOA, with the Gilboa, the other called by Franks "well of HAROD," and the ruins of Little Hermon, but by natives Jebel JEZREEL, at its western base. On ed-Duhy. The northern branch has the south are ENGANNIM, TAAnach, Tabor on the one side, and Little and MEGIDDO. At the western apex, Hermon on the other; into it the on the overhanging brow of CARMEL, troops of Barak defiled from the is the scene of Elijah's sacrifice; and heights of Tabor (Judg. iv. 6), and on its opposite side are the sites of Nain and Endor. The southern branch lies between Jenin and Gilboa, terminating in a point among the hills

close by the foot of the mountain below runs the KISHON, on whose banks the false prophets of Baal were slain. On the north, among places of less note, are NAZARETH and TABOR.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE JUDGES, FROM GIDEON TO JEPHTHAH. B.C. 1256-1112. § 1. Oppression of the Midianites. § 2. Call of GIDEON, the fifth judgeThe Angel Jehovah-Gideon overthrows the Altar of Baal-Surnamed JERUBBAAL. § 3. Gideon musters Israel-The signs of the fleece. § 4. Choice of 300 men-The trumpets, lamps, and pitchers-Slaughter of Midian in Jezreel-Pursuit beyond the Jordan-Fate of Succoth and Penuel. § 5. Gideon refuses the crown-Makes an Ephod. § 6. ABIMELECH murders Gideon's sons, and becomes king at ShechemThe parable or fable of Jotham. § 7. Revolt against Abimelech-Destruction of Shechem-His death-Erroneously ranked as the sixth judge. 8. TOLA and JAIR the seventh and eighth judges. § 9. Oppression of the Philistines and Amorites-Rise of JEPHTHAH, the ninth judge-Embassy to Ammon-Jephthah's vow-The Ammonites subdued-The fate of Jephthah's daughter-Massacre of Ephraim—Shibboleth and Sibboleth-Death of Jephthah. § 10. IBZAN, ELON, and ABDON, the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth judges.

§ 1. THE peace purchased by the victory of Deborah and Barak was again misused by Israel, and the next scene of their history opens upon a more shameless idolatry, and a more complete subjection to their enemies. The worship of Baal was publicly practiced, and the people were ready to display zeal for the false god.' They were now delivered over to their old enemies of the desert, the Midianites and the Amalekites, who came up every year in entire hordes, "as locusts for multitude," with their cattle and their tents, covering the whole breadth of the land as far as Gaza and devouring its produce, so that the Israelites had no food left, nor sheep, nor ox, nor ass. The only refuge of the people was in dens, and caves, and fortresses in the mountains. This oppression lasted for seven years. Once more the people cried to Jehovah, who sent a prophet to reprove them for the evil return they had made for their deliverance from Egypt. But the reproof was the prelude to effectual aid.

2

§2. As in the former oppressions, there were still stout hearts in Israel ready to come forth at the call of Jehovah. Such a man was GIDEON, the son of Joash, of the distinguished family of the Abi-ezrites, at Ophrah, in the tribe of Manasseh. He was grown up, and had sons, and had ob

1 Judg. vi. 25-32.

2

Judg. vi. 1-10. | the name Gideon is a "hewer, "that The most probable meaning of is "a brave warrior." Ophrah was

« PreviousContinue »